The Stylistics have not been major players on It Starts With a Birthstone down the years. I've been too busy going on and on and on. Day after day. Year after year, About how much I like R.E.M. Particularly their early work. Back in the days when nobody had the slightest idea what Michael Stipe was singing. Never mind what he was actually going on about. Well done Michael. Way to go.
When not rattling on about those guys, occasionally I try to get people to listen to Marquee Moon. Forever Changes and Big Star. Or bands from Indiana who sound like Pavement. If they were no good. Well it's something to do !
Anyway I know I've been remiss. But now it's time, It's finally time for It Starts With a Birthstone belatedly to shine the spotlight on Philadelphia's The Stylistics. For services to high pitched falsetto harmony singing in the early Seventies. Cool backing vocals. And graceful, fluid dance routines, Come on down guys. The stage is yours, Try not to trip over your flares.
In the early Seventiea. I was a young boy. Living in Nottingham, where my family had just relocated from Zimbabwe, then named Rhodesia. Looking back it feels like the land that time forgot. It didn't feel like it at the time I assure you. Simple joys. Conkers. Football cards. Portable black and white TV. Could England make it to the 1974 World Cup? As it turned out they couldn't Tomaszewski. Bloody Jan Tomaszewski. Brian Clough might have called him a clown. But he was a very good shot stopper.
The Internet hadn't even been invented yet. It's difficult to credit it I know. The world was actually in colour. Don't believe everything you read on X Twitter. Or while we're here, anything that Elon Musk might have you believe, That blokes a wrong 'un. Isn't he South African. Why does he keep making that odd salute and posting the things he does? Is he trying to start wars? Why ? War's a crime Elon. Haven't you heard.
We also had Glam Rock. It was great. Let's not talk about Gary Glitter But David Bowie was sensational. Roxy Music. Wizzard. And my own personal favourites Chicory Tip. I had a flexidisc. There was more to that band than Son Of My Father. Take it from me. They had loads of great numbers those guys.
But secretly without knowing it. The Westen World was secretly waiting for The Stylistics. And from about 1972 they came along to make our dreams come true, On Top Of The Pops of course.On Thursday night, Everybody watched Top of the Pops in those days Even when Jimmy Saville was presenting. He just seemed like some barmy old bloke. How little we knew.
It felt like The Stylistics were on Top of the Pops every week . Singing love songs. Going up the singles charts every week. .As an eight year old it seemed weird and slightly wet. But now fifty years on I finally have a Stylistics album. 1976's Fabulous. I've been listening to it over the past couple of days and it is fabulous. Or at least pretty good. Sweet Soul Music out of the city that at the time was the Capital of the World for this kind of stuff.
That band had 12 consecutive R & B Top Ten Hits in the States. All of them produced by Thom Bell.On Avco initially. Then they swopped around in terms of record labels. But the hits and awards kept coming. History has been recrafted in a neat narrative to say that we were all waiting for the arrival of Punk Rock, Glen Matlock to leave the Sex Pistols so Sid could join and start spitting at people and snarling so punk could become Punk and we could be free.
Or else. A vision of Bob Geldof sitting angrily on a sofa somewhere gazing at his TV screen and thinking that what the world needed was Rat Trap. A watered down comic strip version of Born To Run. Set in Dublin, Not New Jersey,
It's too neat a narrative actually.To say one is superior to the other. I've got time in my life for The Stylistics and the Boomtown Rats. Why does one have to be better or even preferable. They both have their place.They're both still touring of course. Check the schedules. Go see both if you can afford it. That's 2025 for you.
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